I swung my bags over my head, around my shoulder and off I went, into the Colorado Rockies wilderness. Though the state of Colorado has been sort of a land-grab, there are still areas, typically west of the front range mountains, that are relatively untouched and wild. With each step through the woods, I watched around me, mesmerized by the various spruce, pine, and aspen trees, from which below looking above, revealed a faint blue sky littered between the leaves and branches. Looking forward in front of me, I watched for a clearing to setup base for the night.The thick forest was thinning, revealing a dark and brooding sky, with a shade of dark blue and grey. I wanted to explore aimlessly for a few hours before setting up camp, but the afternoon Colorado storms were evidently brewing overhead. Upon my arrival, folks had told me of their thunderstorm stories, and that everyone had one. They spoke up being caught in downpours, or extremely uncomfortably close to a lightning strike, and more... And I thought, perhaps now was my turn.

As the rumble of the thunderhead grew, I knew it was about time to seek some semblance of a shelter. Slung across my shoulders, my camera gear and backpack were first to meet the ground, followed by my Coleman Fast Pitch tent. Though it fits four, it was quite easy to setup for the first time by myself. I chose a higher spot nearby, in case of flooding, which has seriously ravaged the state as of late.Timing is a funny thing, for as I finished the final touches to my campsite for the night, centered by my Longs Peak tent, the storm had grown a deeper, darker gray, almost black in some places. The clouds had stretched wide, and in height, and were moving malevolently overhead. I do love a good storm, especially when I can capture photographic imagery of a dynamic scene (pictured to the right), but my pulse quickened and I shuttered as a wicked lightning strike lit up the sky, followed by an almost metallic ear-splitting booming sound. The thunder rumbled through the hills and the mountains with a vengeance, seemingly so close, as I was up around 7,000-8,000ft elevation.The storm moved swiftly after brewing for a large part of the day, drenching my campsite and the entire plains around me, but I sought cover in my tent, and though I worried of flooding, and perhaps a mess of muddy land beneath me, all went well. I survived my first Colorado Rockies thunderstorm, thanks to Coleman and their quality gear! With the waining hours of light approaching into dusk, I toured the area, photographing the brilliant sunset. I ended the night with a small meal and a good book – and yes, I slept like a baby.

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